Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-07

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that in the digital age, theatres and cinemas are no longer important as people can watch all the entertainment they want online. Others argue that theatres and cinemas are still important both economically and culturally.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

In the modern era of digitalisation, some people argue that cinemas and theatres are becoming less essential as content is easily accessible online while others oppose this by adding the value for job opportunities and strong cultural ties. In my opinion, people should upgrade themselves with advancing technologies but the essence of visiting theatres and cinemas should not be ignored.

Nowadays, many people prefer yearly subscriptions of various online platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime where thousands of movies and series are available through a single click on their phone, television or laptop. Consequently, people can save time and money while staying within their home comfort. For example, in the metro cities, working professionals are tired of travelling during weekdays and prefer to stay home for relaxation. Furthermore, not buying tickets for movie nights can save an ample amount of household income.

But, an excessive inclination towards digitalisation may affect cinemas and theatres in a negative way. For example, if people do not prefer to watch movies in theatre, job opportunities in that market would be compromised. Additionally, families with kids enjoy to have weekly movie nights to spend quality time with their children. Even friends and families reunite on weekly movie nights. Furthermore, few movies promote cultural values within the society which if watched together, brings the unique mindset of togetherness and entertainment. Several movie theatres also provide a magnificent experience of three dimensional animation which could not be experienced at the comfort of home.

In my opinion, people should follow the world of digitisation up to some extent, but the importance of visiting theatres and cinemas should not be ignored since it unknowingly holds cultural and economic values in the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the convenience of streaming services versus the economic and social benefits of physical cinemas. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the economic argument is mentioned but not deeply explored, and the cultural aspect is touched upon briefly. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis of how cinemas contribute to the economy or cultural identity. The position is consistent throughout the essay, which is a strength.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', and 'in addition' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the transition between the economic argument and the social benefits within the third paragraph could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the readability of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and conveys meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'digitalisation', 'subscription', and 'three dimensional animation'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances where word choice could be more precise or sophisticated. For example, 'upgrade themselves with advancing technologies' is slightly unnatural in this context. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is sufficient to discuss the topic, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'enjoy to have' (should be 'enjoy having') and 'at the comfort of home' (should be 'in the comfort of home'). Punctuation is generally correct, but there are minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. The control of grammar is sufficient to communicate ideas without difficulty, but the range of complex structures is somewhat restricted, and errors occur when attempting more sophisticated phrasing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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